Mount Pleasant Village Board unanimously approves Microsoft land deal

 

MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Microsoft's one step closer to calling Racine County home. 

The Mount Pleasant Village Board gave a unanimous thumbs up to a land deal selling some two square miles to the tech giant.

The deal's being touted as a win for residents, the village, county and state. It got no opposition at this meeting, but it still does need the Racine County Board to vote on it. 

"And we've got a deal with Microsoft. Congratulations, everybody," said Mount Pleasant Village President David DeGroot.

With unanimous support, Microsoft gets a green light by trustees in this room to proceed with a multi-building data center.

"This is for years to come. This is really a big thing for the village," said Trustee Jim Venturini. 

"It is such an exciting day in the Village of Mt. Pleasant, and welcome, Microsoft," said Trustee Ram Bhatia. 

The deal voted on here is about 630 acres just off I-94. It's in the Mt. Pleasant Innovation Park, where Foxconn got on board in 2017 and Mt. Pleasant invested in the infrastructure that they've been paying on ever since. 

"There is not many places in the United States that would not want to have a project of this scale in their community, especially to have a company like Microsoft investing at this level," said Jim Paetsch, Milwaukee Seven executive director. 

In separate deals, Microsoft also bought 315 acres from the village and another 400 from a private party. All totaled, their investment in Mt. Pleasant's some 1,300 acres, and they've already impressed village officials.

"In the agreement that was signed earlier this spring, Microsoft promised us that they would break ground early or mid-2026. If you -- if it weren't dark outside, you could ride by and you could see where the earth has been prepared and they've already been driving pilings for the first building," said Alan Marcubitz, special counsel to the Vlilage of Mount Pleasant. 

The Racine County Board's expected to also approve the Microsoft deal. 

If all goes as expected, Microsoft could be on the tax rolls in Racine County as soon as Jan. 1.